Zucchini-Feta Frittata

Please welcome guest contributor, author, and former food editor of the Boston Globe Sheryl Julian who is sharing a fabulous zucchini frittata! ~Elise

There aren’t enough dishes in anyone’s repertoire to use up all the zucchini from the garden and at farm stands this time of year. Add this hearty frittata to your list.

With its bright green flecks of grated zucchini, this dish can go from brunch table to picnic table to dinner table with ease.

Zucchini can be watery, and the best way to remove the excess liquid is to salt the zucchini and squeeze out the liquid before adding it to a filling.

To do this, quarter each vegetable along its length, cut out most of the seeds, then shred the firm green edges on a box grater on in a food processor.

Layer the shreds in a colander with a sprinkle of salt and then l eave it for at least 15 minutes, or put it in the fridge overnight. Squeeze the excess liquid from the shreds – there will be a lot – before adding them to the eggs and cheese.

Instead of cooking the frittata in a skillet and then flipping it onto a platter like a traditional Spanish tortilla, bake it in pie pan and serve it directly from the dish. Baking it in the oven helps the frittata to cook more evenly, especially if you preheat the pie pan along with preheating the oven.

Method

1 Grate the zucchini: Trim the zucchini at both ends. Quarter them lengthwise and cut out and discard the column of seeds on each piece. Use the grating disk on a food processor or a hand-held grater to grate the zucchini.

2 Press the zucchini: Transfer the grated zucchini to a colander set inside a bowl, sprinkling salt between the layers. Set a small plate on top of the zucchini to press it down. Set aside for 15 minutes to drain (or place in the fridge overnight). When ready, squeeze the zucchini with your hands to remove any excess water.

3 Cook the potato: Place the potato pieces in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

4 Mash the potato: With a slotted spoon, transfer the potato to a bowl and mash it with a fork until it is almost smooth. Leave to cool.

5 While the potato cooks and cools, preheat oven to 375F. Use the olive oil to coat the bottom and sides of a 9-to 9 1/2-inch pie pan. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, then place both inside the oven to warm for at least 5 minutes.

6 Combine the frittata filling: Mix the eggs, black pepper, feta cheese, and 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese into the cooled mashed potatoes. Stir in the drained and squeezed zucchini.

7 Transfer the filling to the pie pan: Carefully remove the hot pie pan and baking sheet from the oven. Pour the zucchini mixture in the hot pie pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese.

8 Bake the frittata: Return the pie pan and the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the frittata is set in the middle.

9 Cool and serve: Let the frittata cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Leftover frittata will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator; eat cold or briefly warmed in the microwave.

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Sheryl Julian is an award-winning writer, editor, and food stylist. She is the former food editor of The Boston Globe, co-author of The Way We Cook, and editor of The New Boston Globe Cookbook. Her food sections won Best Newspaper Food Coverage from the Association of Food Journalists in 2015.

Showing 4 of 12 Comments

Amy Dixon

I made this a couple of weeks ago keeping ingredients exactly as stated – Excellent and have shared recipe with friends! Used an 8×8 square Pyrex to make it easier to cut and serve. Increased baking time by 5mins. Plan on taking it to the next special church brunch – going to use Monterey Pepper Jack next.

You should certainly add fresh herbs, if you have them. Good quality feta has lots of flavor. I love the way glass pie plates cook everything, from this frittata to all kinds of pies. And yes, use whatever potatoes you have. Happy cooking!

August 19, 2016

Amy

Very successful recipe with the family – I’ll make this one of our go-to comfort food meals. I used a glass pie plate, no problem. Eggs were at room temperature, though, so that helps. Thanks for the suggestion of adding a few herbs, that sounds good, too!

August 19, 2016

Christine

I made this for breakfast the other day and it was very good. I think that the potato gave it really nice texture. Leftovers made excellent lunches during the week. Like Andrea, I would add some fresh herbs next time.

August 8, 2016

Andrea

Made this Sunday night – it’s a great recipe and cooks well. I’d say it was a little bland (might’ve been the potato.) I’m going to try again and attempt to incorporate some fresh herbs. As it is, this made a great weekend brunch, with a tossed salad and I’ve had it chilled for lunch this week as well. I added a touch of Sirracha for a little kick.